To complete a commercial transaction, information is required from both a merchant and a customer. In practice, the data is provided by the merchant and the customer directly to the electronic system facilitating the transaction, such as a point of sale (POS) system. The POS system must be configured to efficiently and securely receive this information. For example, a customer data input device could be physically separate from a merchant data input device, wherein the customer device is facing away from the merchant and the merchant only needs to use the merchant device. In this type of configuration, the transaction can be completed more efficiently because each user, both the merchant and the customer, has easy access to enter information to the POS system. However, this configuration might not meet the needs of all merchants. In some cases, a merchant may not want to incur the costs associated with providing a multi-device POS system, and could be willing to trade-off increased transaction efficiency for a less expensive POS system. For example, a POS system composed of a single data input device being shared by a customer and a merchant may complete the transaction more slowly than a POS system comprising more than one data input device, having eliminated the time required to move the device from one user to another, or switch between modes, but it will likely cost less than a multi-device system.
FIG. 1 illustrates one example of a customer system interface 100 and a merchant system interface 101 that can be used in a POS system to facilitate commercial transactions. The interfaces 100 and 101 can be software-controlled interfaces that communicate information to a user, in which the communication can be accomplished by a cathode ray tube display, a liquid crystal display, an inorganic or organic light emitting diode display, e-reader, or any other type of display device, with or without touch screen capability. The interfaces 100 and 101 guide the users to input information directly into the POS system. The data may be input using non-display devices, such as a keyboard or PIN pad, by the interface displays when configured to receive touch information, such as through a touch screen display, or by other means, such as audio information received by a microphone. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the customer system interface 100 has a customer system interface display 102, and the merchant system interface 101 has a merchant system interface display 103. The displays 102 and 103 can be touch screen displays that enable the users to simultaneously receive visual information from, and input touch information directly into, the interfaces 100 and 101.
When displays 102 and 103 are touch screen displays, the users can communicate with the interfaces 100 and 101 by providing touch information at specific points that are designated by virtual buttons 104, which can represent user commands, alphanumeric inputs, a virtual device such as a virtual keyboard or virtual pin pad 105, or other inputs specified by the interface software. In one example, users can receive commercial transaction information, such as individual items costs, payment totals, payment types, keyboard or PIN pad input displays, and other information, by virtual displays 106 on the displays 102 and 103. In another example, users can receive prompts provided by the interfaces 100 and 101 which help the users navigate the commercial transaction process. When customers and merchants are involved in a commercial transaction using a POS system, typically the customer will be the user that interacts with the customer system interface 100 and the merchant will be the user that interacts with the merchant system interface 101. One prompt that is commonly given to the customer is a prompt for payment information 107 such as a prompt for a personal identification number (PIN), and one prompt that is commonly given to the merchant is a prompt for payment total confirmation 108. Once the prompts 107 and 108 are properly addressed by the users, the commercial transaction can complete.
One type of POS system that is implemented widely in the retail space is a supermarket POS terminal with a payment device. A typical configuration includes a terminal that processes the commercial transaction, for use by a merchant, permanently connected to a payment device, for use by the customer during payment. The terminal can continuously provide access to a merchant system interface 101. The terminal is configured to receive and store item identification data from scanned items using a barcode reader system. The results of the item identification process are shown to the merchant and customer, simultaneously and in real time, by a terminal display screen. Then the terminal calculates the total price to be paid for the items and sends commands to the payment device to process a transaction for that amount. The payment device could include a PIN pad with a display screen, to facilitate the payment process by giving the customer a payment prompt. The payment device could continuously provide access to a customer system interface 100.
Another type of POS system includes a single POS terminal with a single display screen, wherein the customer and merchant share the terminal to complete the commercial transaction. In other words, the same display provides access to the merchant system interface 101 and the customer system interface 100, but at separate times. For example, a shared POS terminal can be placed in-between the merchant and the customer and rotated on a rotatable stand to face either user. When the customer is using the terminal to make a payment, the terminal can be rotated to face the customer to provide the payment interface to facilitate efficient and secure entry of the user's payment information to the system. When the customer is done, the terminal can be rotated back to the merchant. When the shared screen is accessible to the customer, the customer can be locked out of accessing the merchant interface, such as to change the total payment amount or conduct other illicit activity.